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California Governor Gavin Newsom signed several solar-related bills into law, including legislation that authorizes balcony solar systems in the state, according to Solar Power World. The measure, SB 868, also called the Plug and Play Solar Act, removes regulatory hurdles that had prevented use of these systems in apartments, condominiums and single-family homes.
California becomes the tenth state to legalize balcony solar, which lets homeowners and renters purchase qualified plug-in solar panels from retailers without obtaining an interconnection agreement from their utility. The cost and time required to secure such an agreement had been a barrier to wider deployment.
The California Assembly added a provision, using language sought by utilities, that ends the interconnection exemption on January 1, 2030. The law provides the market four years to develop while giving the Legislature a chance to remove the sunset provision.
SB 868 also requires plug-and-play systems to meet strict safety standards. All systems must be certified by the independent safety science company UL or an equivalent national testing lab. To protect utility workers, systems must automatically shut off within seconds if the grid goes down. System size is capped at 1,200 W.
Bernadette Del Chiaro, the Environmental Working Group’s senior vice president for California, said the law would deliver cleaner power, greater energy independence and real savings for consumers. Senator Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat and the bill’s author, said the small, easy-to-use panels would give everyone, including renters, relief on high energy bills, adding that electricity costs in California have reached excessive levels and that the law provides a needed tool for relief.
Stephan Scherer, chief executive and co-founder of the balcony solar company CraftStrom, said plug-in solar is clean energy that can be plugged directly into a wall, making it quick and easy for anyone to lower energy bills. He said California already accounts for a large share of CraftStrom’s business and that the law represents a significant victory for energy independence as the company prepares to roll out its next generation of products nationwide this month.
Bill details were provided by the Environmental Working Group.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Solar Panels market in the World, including market size, structure, key trends, and forecast. The study highlights demand drivers, supply constraints, and competitive dynamics across the value chain.
The analysis is designed for manufacturers, distributors, investors, and advisors who require a consistent, data-driven view of market dynamics and a transparent analytical definition of the product scope.
This report covers photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, which are devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity. It encompasses the global market for finished modules, including all major product technologies and form factors designed for a wide range of end-use applications.
The market data is classified and analyzed according to international trade codes, primarily under the Harmonized System (HS) headings for photovoltaic cells and electric generating sets. This ensures consistent tracking of trade flows for assembled solar modules and relevant apparatus across global markets.
World
The analysis is built on a multi-source framework that combines official statistics, trade records, company disclosures, and expert validation. Data are standardized, reconciled, and cross-checked to ensure consistency across time series.
All data are normalized to a common product definition and mapped to a consistent set of codes. This ensures that comparisons across time are aligned and actionable.
Report Scope and Analytical Framing
Concise View of Market Direction
Market Size, Growth and Scenario Framing
Commercial and Technical Scope
How the Market Splits Into Decision-Relevant Buckets
Where Demand Comes From and How It Behaves
Supply Footprint, Trade and Value Capture
Trade Flows and External Dependence
Price Formation and Revenue Logic
Who Wins and Why
Where Growth and Supply Concentrate
Commercial Entry and Scaling Priorities
Where the Best Expansion Logic Sits
Leading Players and Strategic Archetypes
Detailed View of the Most Important National Markets
How the Report Was Built
World's largest solar wafer manufacturer
Consistently top module shipper globally
Major producer of cells and modules
Pioneer in module technology and Vertex series
Vertically integrated, strong in project pipeline
Largest US-based manufacturer, unique technology
Major investment in US manufacturing
Significant producer with heterojunction focus
World's largest solar cell producer
Maxeon manufactures SunPower's legacy technology
Pioneer in heterojunction technology
Part of GCL Group, large-scale manufacturer
Vertically integrated under Chint Group
Significant global shipments
Major Indian manufacturer with global presence
Part of Adani Group, large integrated capacity
Exited solar business in 2022 but legacy remains
Historic leader, now smaller scale
Largest US residential solar company
Former industry leader, still significant
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Free Data: Solar Cells and Light-Emitting Diodes — World
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